Aquatic Ecology


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Lake Ontario is really known for its diversity when it comes to animals, especially birds, fishes, Reptiles, Amphibians, and plants. The lake has plenty of wetland for some of its animals to live and produce. These wetlands are therefore protected, but lately the wetlands are gradually changing due to the reducing natural water level fluctuation.


some of the fishes in Lake Ontario are


Alewife
Alewife


Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic Salmon




Bloater
Bloater


Bowfin
Bowfin


Since Lake Ontario is so deep, sunlight cannot reach the bottom therefore there aren't plenty of aquatic plants besides algae, or also known as phytoplankton. Most of the plants grow on the wetlands or the shores of the lake. Since sunlight barely reaches the bottom of the lake, algae rely on phosphorus and nitrogen to grow. Bacteria is also present at Lake Ontario, sometimes the bacteria level increases to high numbers. When this problem occurs in the summer time the beaches are closed till the bacteria level decreases.